Title

Do different environments effect magnet strength? Testing magnet durability.

Problem Scenario

My question is worth asking because what if you want to use a magnet for certain weights but you don't know what it is capable of holding so that is why I did this experiment.

Broad Question

Does temperature effect magnet strength.

Specific Question

What is the effect of you put a magnet in dry ice then take it out and see how many washers you can stick to it without falling.

Hypothesis

I think the colder magnet will hold more washers then the warmer magnets.

Graph of Hypothesis

Variables

Independent Variable:

Temperature of magnets.

Dependent Variable:

Strength of the magnets.

Variables That Need To Be Controlled:

Same terminator, placement of magnets, and amount of washers.

Vocabulary List That Needs Explanation

Magnet: A piece of metal or cobalt that has a north and south pole that help it to attract
Dry Ice: Is a cold substance that is capable of giving you frost bite in a matter of seconds.

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General Plan

Potential Problems And Solutions

I could burn my hand while using the oven but I could use oven mittens to prevent that. I could also get frost burn while using the dry ice but to prevent that I could use pliers and gloves.

Safety Or Environmental Concerns

Some of my safety concerns would to get burnt by the oven or to get frost bitten by the dry ice. No environmental concerns.

Experimental Design

Number Of Trials:

9

Number Of Subjects In Each trial:

3 different temperatures and 3 trials for each subject.

When data will be collected

March of 2012

Number of Observations:

9 Observations

Where will data be collected?:

The data will be collected here at school and at my house.

Resources and Budget Table

Washers, Magnets, Dry Ice, Oven Time, and Terminator.

Item	Where will I get this	Estimated Cost
Poster Board	Staples	$5.00
Magnets	Wal-Mart	$5.00
Washers	Lowe's	$5.00
Dry Ice	Mr.Biche	$0.00

Data Table

Test#	Placement 1: Oven	Placement 2: Dry Ice	Placement 3: Room Temperature
#1	29 Washers	23 Washers	27 Washers
#2	31 Washers	28 Washers	28 Washers
#3	17 Washers	16 Washers	29 Washers
Averages	16 Washers	22 Washers	28 Washers

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Background Research

Magnets work with two poles on each side of the magnet a north pole and a south pole. Alike pole repel while unlike poles attract and stick together. The end of a freely pivoted magnet will always point in the North-South direction. A magnetic field is the space surrounding the magnet in which magnetic force is exerted. If a bar magnet is in such a field, it will experience magnetic forces. Even if this magnet is moved the magnetic field will stay there. A magnetic field is produced by the motion of electrical charges. A magnetic field of a bar magnet thus results from the motion of negatively charged electrons in the magnet. Dry Ice is frozen carbon dioxide that is a normal part of our world’s atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a gas that we exhale during breathing. Dry ice is capable of getting to negative a hundred nine degrees Fahrenheit and negative seventy eight degrees Celsius.

References

"How Magnets Work!" How Magnets Work. Web. 05 Apr. 2012. <http://www.howmagnetswork.com/>.
"A History of Magnets and Their Many Uses | SciSeek Science Blog." Science Blog. Web. 05 Apr. 2012. <http://blog.sciseek.com/2008/07/21/a-history-of-magnets-and-their-many-uses/>.
"Dry Ice Information - All about Dry Ice." Dry Ice Information. Web. 05 Apr. 2012. <http://www.dryiceinfo.com/>.
"Introduction to Magnetism | Physics | Khan Academy." Khanacademy.org. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. <http://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/v/introduction-to-magnetism>.

Detailed Procedure

1. First I procured my magnets and washers to do my experiment.
2. Once I had my materials I started to perform my experiment.
3. So first I put one of my magnets into an oven set to 300 degrees and let sit until you chose.
4. Next I took the magnets out and tested the amount that the magnet could hold and repeated it to your extent.
5. After I did this same procedure accept without heat and just did it with room temperature.
6. Next I used dry ice as my next temperature and did the same thing by testing the strength with washers.

Diagram

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Results

All Raw Data

Test#	Placement: Oven	Placement: Room Temperature	Placement:Dry Ice
#1	29 Washers	27 Washers	23 Washers
#2	31 Washers	28 Washers	28 Washers
#3	17 Washers	29 Washers	16 Washers

Graphs

Pictures

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Data Analysis

My graph shows that I have a variation of different data. My first two trials with all environments are good but the last one shows variation between the oven and the dry ice from the last two trials.

Conclusion

I think the colder magnet will hold more washers than the warmer one will. My hypothesis does not support my data.

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Discussion

To future experimenters of this project I would recommend doing many trials of the certain temperatures with more temperatures to test it with. Some of my sources of error would have been to forget to record data or not buy a poster board. This experiment would be helpful if you were trying to figure out the amount of weight a magnet could hold you would bee able to know.

Benefit to Community and/or Science

It can help scientists figure out magnet strength if they don't already know to help them with any future experiments involving magnets and there strengths.

Abstract

I did this experiment because it looked like it would be a fun and learning experience which it was. I found out that the dry ice makes the magnet stronger and therefor it held the most washers. My project does a combination of two things magnet strength and what are the best temperatures to make the magnet stronger. What I did to do this experiment was put the magnet in as many different temperatures as you want. The way you measure it is you get some washers, stick it to the magnet then after you can't stick anymore on it you take it off and count how many there were.